Dead by all means
by monica reyes
Summary: mulder and scully go to find out who killed a scientist scully knew


Dead by All Means

Maryland 7pm

Even though there was a thick frost gathering on the windows of the research facility in Maryland, the old man could hear the protestors outside chanting, singing, shouting-always fighting the future trying to stall progress. Didn't they care that a vaccination was being developed? It angered the old man. The slogans hadn't changed for decades and decades, but he could tell change was coming.

The old man fingered the laminated badge dangling from his lab coat. The five year old picture, showing him with an awkward expression was worse than his driver's license photo. The badge office didn't like to retake snapshots- but then I.D. photos never really looked like the subject in question.

In half a centaury his face had grown more gaunt, more seamed, especially over the past few years. His steel-grey hair had turned an unhealthy yellowish-white, where it had fallen out in patches. The badge identified him as Jacob Gregory. He wasn't like many of his younger colleagues who insisted on proper titles Dr Jacob Gregory.

Dr Gregory finally decided to ignore the distractions outside the lab building. Moving slowly and painfully in his seventy-two year old body whose warranty had run out, he liked to say he went back to his computer simulations.

The door opened and a younger man walked in with two cups of coffee.

"Hey Jacob want some coffee?"

Now Jacob in his old age was loosing his hearing. He didn't turn round. The younger man walked forward some more.

"Hey Jacob… mate… Coffee."

Jacob turned round and took the cup.

"Thanks Charles, I must be going deaf in my old age. I honestly didn't hear you come in."

"No kidding."

Charles set his cup down on the desk and walked over to the window to join Jacob. He looked out and saw that several of the protestors had sprayed some paint on his car.

"Great! Just great, that was a brand new car."

Jacob turned to face him.

"Don't worry about it. You know what the protesters are like, they're here one day, gone the next, I should be the one fretting, after all I have been working on this vaccination for the past five years."

Charles looked at his watch

"Oh gees, look um… I gotta go Jacob, I gotta go it's my daughter's birthday and if I don't turn up I'm sure to be getting a divorce man."

"Yeh. Ok then, I'm gonna stay awhile and work."

Charles wouldn't hear any of it.

"Look Jacob its Christmas Eve take the evening off, I'll give you a lift home."

Jacob turned to look back out of the window

"You go ahead Charles; I wouldn't want to be the one who caused the divorce now… would I?"

Charles laughed

"Okay… okay, I'll come by later this evening."

Jacob began typing. He had to figure out this vaccination, he didn't have much more time left. Like I said earlier as Jacob was deaf he didn't hear the door open and the intruder walk in. it wasn't until the intruder got right up behind the desk that Jacobs dog Buddy heard him, Jacob looked down at buddy.

"What. What is it Buddy. You tired too? Come on lets go home."

Jacob stood up and turned round; the intruder stepped forward out of a dark corner and pointed a gun at Jacob.

The man stepped forward and sat down at the computer and began to finish the graph. Jacob lay on the floor in a pool of blood and buddy was nowhere to be found.

1:00 am FBI Building- Washington D.C

Special Agent Dana Scully walked down the hallway towards Skinner's office. She knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Scully walked in.

"What couldn't wait sir, is it something pressing?"

Scully stopped and looked around, Skinner's office was full of people. Skinner stood up.

"If you would sit down Agent Scully, I will explain."

Scully sat down next to Mulder. She whispered in his ear.

"So what's the big deal? Why call everyone in the middle of the night?"

Mulder put his arm around Scully

"I don't know. Maybe if they call in a bomb threat to Houston we could go. Its free beer night at the astrodome."

Skinner started to explain.

"Most of you will know there is a research facility in Maryland. Now I received a disturbing call this evening… a seventy-two year old man who was working on a vaccine- Dr Jacob Gregory was killed. Now I know that the last person to see him was a fellow colleague of his called Charles Maru. He…"

Scully interrupted

"Sir did you say Dr Jacob Gregory?"

Skinner looked up.

"Yes Agent Scully I did. Why did you know him?"

"Well actually sir, he used to be my professor when I was in Med School."

Skinner stood up.

"Could everyone wait outside please?"

Everyone started to file out of the room. Scully got up to go as well. Skinner put his arm out to stop her. Once everyone was out of the room skinner got to the point.

"Look Scully, don't do this!"

Scully looked up.

"Excuse me sir, why can't I do this? Look Jacob wasn't just my professor, he was my friend. Now look if he was murdered, I want to find whoever did this to him and lock them up."

Skinner sat back down.

"That's not why I don't want you to go."

"Then why sir?"

Skinner stood up and walked round to the front of his desk so that he was facing Scully.

"You've been through a lot. I just think it would be best if you took more time off. I don't want you to get hurt again."

Skinner paused for a bit.

"Ok. I'll let you and Mulder go, but I'm telling you this now. Don't get too involved with this case, Talk to Mulder if you're concerned about something."

Scully got up to open the door, Skinner came to the door as well. Everyone outside stood up. Skinner took a deep breath.

"I've chosen the two Agents that are going to investigate. Sorry for keeping you. You can all go home to your families. Have a nice Christmas."

Everyone turned to go. Mulder as well. Skinner stopped him.

"Mulder can I have a word please?"

Mulder turned round, walked back into Skinner's office and sat down.

"What? What is this all about?"

Skinner handed him some keys.

"You and Scully are the investigators. This is your one chance to get the X-files back again."

Mulder didn't answer. Skinner told Scully to wait outside. Once she had gone, skinner confronted Mulder.

"What is it your afraid of Mulder? Tell me."

Mulder shifted his feet uneasily then stood up to look out of the window. He started to talk.

"Scully has given so much to this project. But she has had to suffer for it. When she found Emily I was happy for her… I was happy she had found a child to love. Now that chance has been taken away from her I don't know what to do or say to her. I want to give her some of her faith back, but I don't now how. I don't want to risk loosing her."

Skinner came over to the window.

"Look Mulder… when I was first assigned to work with you. I thought you were paranoid and arrogant. I admit now that. You're just a person trying to follow what you believe in trying to find your sister."

Mulder interrupted.

"What is your point?"

"My point! My point is… Look just carry out this investigation. Do it for Scully."

Mulder was just about to say an unearthly comment. Instead he said something else.

"Ok sir. I'll go. I'll do it for Scully."

Skinner opened the door and Mulder walked out.

"Scully got up from where she was sitting.

"You alright Mulder?"

"Yeh. I'm fine I've just talked to skinner."

Scully looked down.

"So you're not coming then."

Mulder moved forward and caressed Scully's cheek.

"It's ok. I'm coming. I want to help you Dr Scully."

Scully smiled. Mulder hadn't called her Dr Scully since they had been assigned to work together… before he trusted her.

Scully moved forward and embraced Mulder, they stayed for a while then Scully withdrew. Together they turned to go down to the car park.

Maryland- 7: am

Mulder stopped the car. He and Scully got out and walked to a building. A guard stopped them.

"Can I have authorisation please?"

Scully showed her Badge. The guard raised his hand to signal to go in.

"The FBI? Must have been something big last night."

Once inside the building Scully walked up to a reception desk. A woman who looked as if she was in her mid forty's was typing on a computer. Scully rested her hand on the desk.

"Excuse me?"

The receptionist looked up. This time Mulder showed his badge. The receptionist stopped typing.

"You'll be wanting to know about Jacob."

"Yes ma'am."

Scully replied.

The receptionist got up and started walking towards a lab that lead off from the side. She begun to unlock the door. When she had done so. She led the two Agents in. she turned to Scully and pointed to the outline on the floor.

"That's where the body was."

Scully signalled for Mulder to look around. She turned to look back at the receptionist.

"Was there anyone else about when the body was found?"

"No. like I told the police, no-one was here. When I told the police they said I should get in touch with you guys. They said that this could be an x-file or something like that."

Meanwhile Mulder was looking at Jacobs's computer. He suddenly spoke.

"Hey Scully, come over here."

Scully walked over and looked at the computer.

"What am I looking at?"

"I have no idea…"

Mulder showed Scully an earlier version of the graph that was on the computer.

"According to skinner, this was as far as Jacob had got, but this graph appears to be finished. Look there are even some formulas underneath."

Scully Looked.

"It appears to be some sort of DNA code. None that I recognise though."

Mulder turned to face the receptionist.

"Where did you say we could find Mr Charles Maru?"

"Number 29 Melrose cottage."

"Thank you."

Mulder and Scully turned to go.

A few moments later. Mulder pulled into the Melrose cottage drive. He and Scully got out and walked to the front door. Scully knocked. After a few moments a young child answered. There was something about the child that caught Scully's eye. The young child spoke

"Hello."

Scully smiled and spoke.

"Hi, I'm Agent Scully and this is my partner Agent Mulder. Can we speak to your daddy?"

The child stepped back.

"I'll just go and get him he's…"

The child however did not continue, another woman came down the stairs.

"Piper! What have I told you about talking to strangers?"

The child turned around.

"But mummy, they're FBI Agents; they want to speak to daddy."

Suddenly from a room at the back of the house the sound of a baby emerged. The woman who had just come down the stairs spoke again.

"Piper go and check on your brother."

The chid disappeared and the woman came to the door.

"You'd better come in."

She led Mulder and Scully to a small kitchen and told them to sit down.

"You won't find Charles here, I filed for a divorce last night, and he turned up for Piper's birthday party drunk so I…"

The woman couldn't continue, she started to cry. Scully signalled for Mulder to look around, meanwhile she went and sat next to the young woman.

"Its going to be alright, really it is."

The woman looked up.

"I haven't even told you my name, its Joanne… Joanne Maru."

Scully started writing

"If you could tell us anything. Anything that would help it would mean a lot."

"Well the last time I saw Charles was yesterday. He was complaining about something… I think maybe it was protestors and another man. His boss Jacob. He said Jacob was taking all the credit. Anyway he went to work as usual then he came to Piper's birthday party, he turned up drunk saying that Jacob had even got us fooled and that he was going to put a stop to it. He was going to get his family back."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Mulder answered it. Outside on the doorstep was Charles Maru. He was drunk again. He looked at Mulder.

"Who are you?"

Mulder put his arm on the door.

"I am special Agent Fox Mulder, My partner and I came looking for you."

Charles elbowed Mulder out of the way and stepped into the doorway.

"I want my daughter. I've come to take her on a vacation."

"That's not possible Mr Maru; as I understand you're wife has filed for a divorce."

Charles moved closer to Mulder.

"GIVE ME MY DAUGHTER!"

"NO!"

Charles rushed at Mulder and knocked him over, he then ran up the stairs and disappeared. Now at this point Joanne and Scully who were in the kitchen cam out. Scully rushed over to Mulder.

"You ok?"

"Yeh. Yeh I'm fine, Charles has gone up the stairs. He wants Piper."

Joanne started to go up the stairs. Scully stopped her.

"Don't Joanne. It's dangerous.

"But he's got my daughter."

Joanne started sobbing again. Scully put her arm on Joanne's shoulder.

"It's ok. I'll go up and get her."

Scully proceeded in walking up the stairs to Piper's room. She pushed the door open. Piper was sitting on a chair colouring something in. Scully walked up to her and crouched down.

"Hey sweetie I want to take you down stairs to your Mummy. Is that ok sweetie?"

Piper put the pen down and looked at Scully.

"I don't like Mummy and Daddy fighting."

The little girl moved into Scully's arms and started to cry. Scully picked her up and started to go towards the door.

"NOT SO FAST!"

Scully stopped and turned round to find Charles pointing a gun at her. Scully put Piper back on the floor so that she was standing, she however did not let go of her hand.

"You can put the gun down now Charles."

"SHUT UP! Give my child to me."

Scully showed no sign of letting go of Piper. Instead she turned her around.

"You're not getting her Charles. You're a danger to her… and to yourself. The only way you can have her is if you put the gun down and talk like a civilised person."

Charles put the gun down and sat down.

"You don't have a child. Do you?"

Scully could feel the tears welling up inside her.

"I've just lost a daughter actually. Not that it's any of your business."

"What was her name?"

"Emily. She was…"

Scully shook her head

"I believe we are meant to be talking about you Charles."

"Ok."

"Good. Now let's start with why you killed Jacob?"

Charles looked up.

"he had everything, he was good at science, I thought of the vaccine, he took that away from me. He had my wife and Kid falling for him. Joanne was even thinking about him moving him and being a grandfather to Piper- someone she could look up to. I had to do something to save my family."

Scully stood up and walked over to Charles and looked him straight in the eyes.

"You are the most deceitful man I have ever known. So you just decided to kill an innocent man who has no-one in his life, no-one left to grieve for him."

Charles was about to reply when the door opened again and Joanne walked in. before Scully could catch hold of Charles eh fired his gun and she fell to the ground. Mulder came running up the stairs. He stopped when he saw Joanne.

"She told me to check on the baby, while she made coffee."

Scully knelt down and felt for a pulse.

"She's dead Mulder."

Scully started to cry.

"She's dead."

Scully pointed to Piper.

"Now this beautiful girl has no mother, no-one to turn to. The world has turned against her, all she has left is her brother, who has no idea that he has no mother or farther. So together they have no-one."

A few minutes later Charles was safely put away in the police car and was driven off. Mulder and Scully were waiting for a woman from social services to come and take the children. Mulder walked back into the house to find scully standing over the cot, she was playing with the baby. Scully turned round when Mulder came into the room. Mulder spoke.

"Where's Piper?"

"She's packing some clothes. I told her, she was going on holiday. With her brother."

Scully walked up to Mulder.

"They need a mother Mulder. They need me."

Scully started crying again.

Mulder stepped forward and hugged Scully, pressing her against him. He whispered in her ear.

" I can't tell you how much this hurts me to see you like this… to see you so vulnerable."

Scully looked up

"I lost a child. A child that didn't have a choice to live. I loved her the short time I had her though, I just want another child. When I had cancer I was told that I would be unable to conceive because my ova had been taken when I was abducted. Finding Emily was the greatest thing to ever happen to me and now I've lost that chance."

An hour later after Scully had an emotional goodbye with both children she went to the car to find Mulder looking at a map.

"What are you doing Mulder?"

"Oh. I have to go to my mother's summer house this weekend. Would you like to come?"

"Yeh ok."

It was a three hour Journey to the summer house. When they finally got there Mulder went to the bedroom to unpack. Scully went to sit on the sand looking out to sea.

In the moonlight Mulder saw Scully Sitting on the sand looking out at the endless water. As he approached her he notice her tense posture. Sensing his presence as he drew near, Scully looked over her shoulder at him. Their eyes met and they gazed at each other.

"Finished unpacking?"

Scully asked way too casually

"Yes."

Mulder nodded and fell into silence.

"Which bedroom did you take?"

Scully asked after another moment

"The big one that over looks the beach."

Mulder answered, as he waited for her next question already knowing what it would be.

"Which room am I in?"

Mulder didn't answer.

"Mulder why did you ask me to come here with you?"

Scully's voice had a slight edge to it.

Mulder wavered for a moment.

"You shouldn't be alone."

"I'm fine Mulder."

Scully responded as her eyes grew distant. Mulder's own words cam back to haunt him.

Mulder continued.

"No, you're not Dana. You've been through a heartbreaking disappointment. I know what your hopes were. I know how bitter the… setback was for you."

"You can use the word, Mulder- failure."

Scully's voice was now darkly sarcastic.

Realizing Scully was slipping away from him. Mulder reached out and took her hand.

"Scully, I just want to be with you."

Scully moved her hand away from Mulder's pulling away from the touch she so badly wanted.

"So what is it you're offering here Mulder… a little round of comfort sex for Special Agent Scully? Isn't that a bit above and beyond the call of duty partner-wise?"

Mulder turned around. Profoundly ashamed, Scully said the only words that came to mind, pathetic though they were.

"Please, God, I'm so sorry."

Not surprisingly Mulder recoiled from her.

"I only wanted to love you Scully that was all."

Mulder turned and headed back to the house. Scully rose to her feet.

"Mulder? Mulder wait, please."

Mulder didn't show any sign of stopping. Scully caught up with him just as he passed through the French doors into the house.

"Mulder please."

Mulder turned round to face Scully for a second their eyes met.

"Why would you say something like that to me Scully?"

He demanded

" I didn't mean it. I swear to you, I didn't mean it and you sure didn't deserve it."

Suddenly desperately she needed to see his eyes

"Mulder look at me,"

She asked him.

Finally Mulder lifted his eyes and looked at her.

"Mulder, I heard you talking to Skinner earlier, I heard you saying to skinner you wanted to help me have a child to love. You can't have any idea how much I wanted to hear that."

Scully said finally

Mulder now stood before Scully, leaning into her to speak softly as though someone would overhear him. The physical intimacy of Mulder's presence was pulling Scully nearer. Mulder broke the silence

"God Scully, I love you."

Mulder bent to kiss Scully, breathing her name softly just as his lips touched hers, gently for a moment. But then he pulled her up into the kiss as a rough passion overtook him and all he wanted was the sweet warmth of her mouth. He felt Scully's hands move up his body as her tongue caressed his lower lip in response and he lifted his lips only to open more fully to her.

It was in front of the fire and on the deep-down comforters hastily pulled from the couch that Mulder made love to Scully for the first time. The light was warm and all scars both physical and emotional, were fully visible- there would be no hiding from each other as five years of intellectual foreplay gave way to play far more primal games. The need to become one physically and as soon as possible took over, and the need to express their feelings through the giving and taking of pleasure rather than the give and take of words became the thing driving them together.

A few hours later Scully awoke tangled in the comforter. Mulder wasn't next to her, but she knew he wasn't far.

Finding his tee-shirt scattered on the floor, she pulled it on, breathing in the deep scent as it went over her head and fell almost to her knees when she stood up. Looking through the open door she saw Mulder, sitting on the deck in the moonlight wearing only sweatpants, his bare feat dug into the sand, as he looked out over the night ocean.

She came out onto the deck quietly, but Mulder sensed her presence and looked back at her. There stood a picture he'd only seen in his dreams, Scully wearing both a tee-shirt and a deeply satisfied but almost shy smile. He smiled in return, leaned back and reached up for her as she approached. She came down into his arms and he kissed her. When he released her, she moved to sit in between his legs and his arms went round her waist, pulling her back against his chest as she ran her hands over his arms and down his thighs. Stupidly she felt like crying again.

"I love you Scully."

Mulder said to her bringing his palm to her lips so that he could kiss it.

Scully turned and nuzzled his neck a bit.

"Yeh? Well you're crazy,"

She answered in a voice with deep affection.

Mulder had to smile.

"Yeh. Yeh I am crazy."

Together they both sat staring at the sun rising for a new day above the peaceful ocean water. All thoughts of work and the FBI were out of their minds.

The End.


End file.
